Gravity-railway device.



C.'F. JENKINS. emwm RAILWAY DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-'16, 1914.

Patented Feb. 20,1917.

V motor-generator, without novelty,

which in turn supplies it CHARLES FRANCIS EnK IivsoF WASHINGTON, prem er on COLZUMBIA,

GRAVITY-RAILWAY 'nnvIcE. V

' Patented Feb. 20, 1 917. Application filed December 16, 1914. Serial No. 877,591.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES FRANCIS JENKINS, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Railway Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to' the accompanyingdrawing.

y invention I relates to railway systems use where most of the material carried is moved in one direction from a higher to a lower level, for example where coal from a mine is carried from the mine to a lower and more or less distant point, and its object 7 is to provide for generating power on down grades and applying such power to returning the cars, usually unloaded, to the mine and sometimes carrying loads over up-grade portions of the route taken by the coalladen cars. In general terms, the invention provides for equipping the cars with a adapted to act automatically as a generator on down grades and as a motor on other grades, so that the generator of a descending loaded. car supplies current to a trolley circuit to the motor of other cars, and preferably, when there is a surplus of current, supplies it also to a comparatively small storage battery connected with the trolley circuit, so that in case of need a car may be returned to the mine although no load is descending, or may be aided in moving on any other part of the line when peculiar conditions make such aid desirable.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing an embodiment of my system and method.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the same devices in side elevation.

In these figures, A represents the mouth of a mine, B a distant station at which coal is to be delivered, 0 a railway track leading downward from A to B, D a return track,

motor trains moving down the track C, E cars, usually unloaded, returning on the track D, F a trolley wire suspended from poles F, and G a storage battery connected Specification of Letters Patent.

cars from a higher ways and including the motor generators are .withthe trolley circuit. Each train carries without novelty, .arranged in a well known way, to change auto matically from its generating function when a motor-generator,

gravity urges the descent of the car to its motor function when the car is not thus urged forward. Usually, the descending and ascending tracks are closely adjacent, 7

cars, as indeed 1t would were an endless cable employed without recourseto electric devices. The advantages over such a cable Under most conditions enough current is generated to afford a surplus and this is supplied to the storage battery, which is thus usually kept charged. It follows that within limits empty cars orthose loaded with supplies may be carried upward to the mine although and of course that the cars do not necessarily move at the same speed.

What I claim is: 1. The method.

turning unloaded cars, which consists in providing a descending railway for loaded cars, an ascending railway for returning cars, a storage battery,

lowing the descending and ascending railbattery, a. series of independent trolleycars each provided with a motor generator in said circuit, and allowing the loaded cars to descend while their in unbroken circuit through the battery; whereby energy de veloped by the descending'loaded cars may be used to return cars to the high point without extraneous power, whether cars are at the moment descending.

2. In gravity railway devices, the combination with a track loop through points of maximum and minimum elevation, of a storsystem are, however, many and obvious.-

no loaded-car be descending,

like, and in ample power to return empty of transporting loaded to a lower level and rea trolley circuit folor not age battery, ing the 100p, unconnected With extraneous source of power, and forming a circuit throughthe battery; and a seriesof car units each provided With an automatic motor generator and unconnected. With its companions and each normally 7 in the electric 'O11'Cl11t; whereby cars are caused to ascend Wl16I1d8-- Copiesef this patent may be obtained for five cent an electrical conductor followscending cars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence'offtwo witnesses; .7

,CHARLES FRANCIS JENKINS. 'Witnesses: JAlVIESLJ CIEA'WF'ORU;

ROBERTCRAIG GREENE.

s each, by. addressing the Commissionernf Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

